Deploy the Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Active Directory

The deployment server (the Splunk Enterprise instance that manages and updates configurations and apps for universal forwarders in a deployment) must be made aware of the Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Active Directory before you can send the add-on to deployment clients.

Best practice: Deploy the Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Active Directory to a select group of domain controllers

Consider the number of domain controllers that you deploy the Active Directory add-ons. Best practice is that only one domain controller in an Active Directory domain or forest receives the add-on, with one or two other DCs receiving it as a backup.

Place the Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Active Directory in the deployment apps directory on the deployment server

1. Open a command prompt on the deployment server/indexer.
2. Copy the add-on folder from their current location to the deployment apps directory:

   > Copy-Item -Path C:\Downloads\Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad -Destination "C:\Program Files\Splunk\etc\deployment-apps -Recurse -Force
   

3. Reload the deployment server configuration.

   > cd \Program Files\Splunk\bin
   > .\splunk reload deploy-server
   

4. From a web browser, log into Splunk Enterprise on the deployment server.
5. In the system bar, select Settings > Forwarder Management.
6. Click the Apps tab. The Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad* add-ons should appear in the list of apps.

Define a new server class for domain controllers

In this procedure, you will define a new server class for domain controllers. In this server class, you will deploy the Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad add-on. Later, you will assign this server class to a universal forwarder that runs atop a host that runs Windows Server 2008.

1. In the Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad add-on entry in the list, click Edit. Splunk Enterprise loads the "Edit App: Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad" page.
2. Under "Server Classes", click "+".
3. In the pop-up that appears, click New Server Class.
4. In the "New Server Class" dialog box that pops up, enter "Domain Controllers".
   
   Note: You can enter a unique name for the server class that describes the hosts that belong in the class, and that you will remember.
5. Click Save. Splunk Enterprise saves the class and loads the information page for the server class you just created.
   
   Note: The page indicates that you have not added any apps or clients yet. This is okay, as you have just created the class.
6. Click Add apps. Splunk Enterprise loads the "Edit Apps" page.
7. Locate and click the "Splunk_TA_microsoft_ad" add-on in the "Unselected Apps" pane on the left. The app moves to the "Selected Apps" pane on the right.
8. Click Save. Splunk Enterprise saves the configuration and returns you to the server class information page.

Add domain controller clients to the server class

If you have not installed a universal forwarder on a Windows domain controller, do so now. See "Install a universal forwarder on each Windows host".

1. In the server class information page, click Add clients. Splunk Enterprise loads the "Edit clients" page.
2. In the "Include (whitelist)" field, enter the host name of the domain controller.
3. Click Preview. Splunk Enterprise updates the host list at the bottom and places check marks on the hosts that match what you entered in the "Include (whitelist)" field.
4. Click Save. Splunk Enterprise adds the host to the server class and deploys the add-on to the deployment client on the Active Directory host.

Add domain controller clients to the "universal forwarder" server class

In the same way that you added the domain controller deployment client to the "domain controllers" server class to deploy the Active Directory add-on, add the client to the "universal forwarder" server class. This does two things:

• Deploys the Splunk Add-on for Windows to the domain controller, which lets the client collect Windows data from the domain controller.
• Deploys the "send to indexer" app to the domain controller, which lets the client forward Windows and Active Directory data to the indexer.

To add the domain controller to the "universal forwarders" server class, see "Add the universal forwarder to the server class."

What's next?

You have now deployed the Active Directory add-on onto your domain controller deployment client. In the future, you can use this procedure to deploy the add-on(s) to additional client(s).

Confirm and troubleshoot AD data collection